NASHVILLE, Tenn. – April 20, 2017 – Charles (Chucky) Cravens, 47, the Sheriff of Fentress County, Tennessee, was charged today in a criminal Information with 3 counts of honest services fraud and one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, announced Jack Smith, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Joining Smith in the announcement were Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Michael Gavin, Special Agent in Charge of the Memphis Division of the FBI; and Jared Effler, District Attorney General of the Eight Judicial District in Tennessee.

“Our citizens deserve public officials who serve their constituents, not their own personal interests,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jack Smith. “I promise you that elected officials in our district who abuse their authority and take advantage of the trust placed in them by the folks who put them in office will be brought to justice. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners serve the people of the entire district, including, not just Nashville, but also rural areas like Fentress County. We will enforce our nation’s laws equally to protect all our citizens against abuses of power wherever they occur.

According to the allegations contained in the charging document, Charles Cravens was the Sheriff of Fentress County and therefore was the chief law enforcement officer of the county. In addition to other law enforcement duties, Sheriff Cravens was responsible for the operation of the Fentress County Jail in Jamestown, Tenn.

The information alleges that in July 2016 Inmate 1 was summoned into Craven’s office where she had unprotected sex with the sheriff.

The Information also alleges that in August 2016, Cravens discussed having sex together with Inmate 1 and Inmate 2 and they formulated a plan to leave the jail together. Cravens subsequently drove these inmates to a vacant trailer where they all engaged in unprotected sex. Cravens maintained a sexual relationship with these inmates for several months, until they were released from jail, the last being in February 2017.

The Information also alleges that in February 2017, Cravens drove Inmate 3 outside of Fentress County to visit a relative. On the way back to the jail, Cravens raised the subject of sex and the inmate agreed and had unprotected sex with the Sheriff in his vehicle. The Information alleges that Cravens had sex with this inmate on at least one other occasion.

The Information alleges that in exchange for the sexual relationships with these inmates, Cravens used his position as sheriff to provide additional benefits

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